USS Pasadena (CL-65)

For other ships with the same name, see USS Pasadena.
USS Pasadena (CL-65), underway off Boston, Massachusetts, 21 July 1944. Photographed from a Squadron ZP-11 blimp. Position is 42°45′N 70°50′W / 42.750°N 70.833°W / 42.750; -70.833. Ship's course 110 degrees. Time 1400 hrs. Pasadena is painted in Camouflage Measure 32, Design 24d.
History
United States
Name: Pasadena
Namesake: City of Pasadena, California
Builder: Bethlehem Steel Corporations Fore River Shipyard, Quincy, Mass.
Laid down: 6 February 1943
Launched: 28 December 1943
Sponsored by: Mrs. C.G. Wopschall
Commissioned: 8 June 1944
Decommissioned: 12 January 1950
Struck: 1 December 1970
Identification:
Honors and
awards:		 5 × battle stars
Fate: Sold for scrap on 5 July 1972
General characteristics
Class and type: Cleveland-class Light cruiser
Displacement:
  • 11,744 long tons (11,932 t) (standard)
  • 14,131 long tons (14,358 t) (max)
Length:
  • 610 ft 1 in (185.95 m) oa
  • 608 ft (185 m)pp
Beam: 66 ft 4 in (20.22 m)
Draft:
  • 25 ft 6 in (7.77 m) (mean)
  • 25 ft (7.6 m) (max)
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed: 32.5 kn (37.4 mph; 60.2 km/h)
Range: 11,000 nmi (20,000 km) @ 15 kn (17 mph; 28 km/h)
Complement: 1,255 officers and enlisted
Armament:
Armor:
Aircraft carried: 4 × floatplanes
Aviation facilities: 2 × stern catapults

USS Pasadena (CL–65), a Cleveland-class light cruiser of the United States Navy, the second vessel to carry the name.

Construction

Pasadena was laid down by the Bethlehem Steel Co., Quincy, Mass. on 6 February 1943 and launched on 28 December 1943. She was sponsored by Mrs. C.G. Wopschall, and commissioned on 8 June 1944, Captain Richard B. Tuggle in command.[1]

Service history

World War II

Commissioned just before the thrust into the Mariana Islands, Pasadena completed shakedown and training during the summer of 1944, and on 25 September got underway for the Pacific theater. On 3 November she crossed the International Date Line and, continuing on, joined TF 38, the fast carrier force, at Ulithi at mid-month. She was part of TF38 as it sailed into Typhoon Cobra on 18 Dec 1944. Through the remainder of the year she participated in that force’s operations against Luzon and Formosa in support of the Philippine campaign. In mid-January 1945, as the assault on Luzon pressed forward, the force sailed into the South China Sea and hit Japanese installations and shipping along the Indo-China coast and on Formosa. In February, the ships, now TF 58, moved against the Japanese home islands, then swung southeast to cover the landings on Iwo Jima, during which Pasadena added her guns to the bombardment group and performed patrol duties.[1]

Replenished at Ulithi, the force, with Pasadena in the inner screen, sortied again in mid-March to soften the way for the operation "Iceberg" assault force with strikes on the southern Japanese home islands and the northern Ryukyus in addition to those against the main assault target: Okinawa. At sea for 80 days, Pasadena, as flagship for CruDiv 17, participated in the night bombardments of Minami Daito (28 March and 10 May) and in the continuous strikes against other Japanese positions on Okinawa and Kyūshū (1 April – 30 May).[1]

After a brief respite at Ulithi and Leyte in June, the force sortied from Leyte Gulf for its last strikes against the enemy’s home islands in early July, and from mid-month to mid-August pounded military and industrial complexes on the Tokyo Plain, northern Honshū, and Hokkaidō in anticipation of heavy resistance to what appeared inevitable—an invasion of Japan. On 15 August, however, Japan accepted surrender terms.[1]

Post-War

Following the cessation of Pacific hostilities, Pasadena commenced occupation duties. On 23 August she became flagship of TG 35.1, on the 27th she anchored in Sagami Wan, and on 1 September shifted to Tokyo Bay where she witnessed the official surrender ceremony the next day. From then until mid-January 1946, she remained in the Tokyo Bay area supporting the occupation forces. On 19 January she got underway for San Pedro, California and an overdue overhaul. Training and local operations followed and in September she headed west again. From November to February, 1947, she participated in division exercises in Micronesia, then, after fleet maneuvers in Hawaiian waters, returned to California. For the next year she conducted local operations, including a trip up the Columbia River to Portland, OR for Navy Day 1947 then several months in dry dock at Bremerton, WA. Then, during the summer of 1948, she conducted an NROTC training cruise. On 1 October she got underway again for the Far East. At the end of the month, she arrived at Tsingtao, and until May 1949 operated off the China coast. On 1 June, she returned to California. During the summer, she conducted local exercises, and on 12 September departed Long Beach, California for Bremerton and inactivation. She decommissioned on 12 January 1950.[1]

Awards

Pasadena earned five battle stars during World War II.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Pasadena II (CL-65)". Naval History and Heritage Command. 18 August 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

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Photo gallery of USS Pasadena (CL-65) at NavSource Naval History

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